Sharing some thoughts on newly acquired Patriots wide
receiver Brandon LaFell after watching his film from last season with the
Carolina Panthers:

-- LaFell is different than New England's other receivers.
Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola like to operate over the middle, and Aaron
Dobson is more of a deep threat. What the team lacked last year was someone
who could run short-to-intermediate routes outside the numbers. If LaFell is
able to grasp the offense and win a job, he should add that dynamic to the offense.

--Even though he was a slot receiver in Carolina, it's
doubtful that LaFell will that role in New England. Edelman and Amendola should
have that covered, and LaFell may not be best suited for that role. He has
trouble getting open running routes over the middle, and is not the strongest
guy in that area of the field. He dropped a few passes last season that could
have been avoided with a better effort. One of his shakier drops came on a
fourth-and-2 play in the red zone against Arizona when he heard a linebacker
coming for him. However, some of LaFell's best moments came running seam routes
from the slot, either going deep or breaking off to exploit a soft spot in the
coverage. So, it would not be surprising to see him line up there at times next
season.

--His route running is solid. LaFell does not have elite
speed, but he runs good routes and manages to get open down the field. This
showed up twice against on touchdowns against the New York Giants. On the first
score, LaFell turned his hips to the middle of the field before taking off
toward the back corner of the end zone, which put him in position for an easy
16-yard touchdown. On his next touchdown, he used a quick stutter step to
create the separation needed to pull in a 20-yard pass. It's easy to picture
Tom Brady releasing the ball to LaFell as he comes out his breaks.

--LaFell also appears to be effective against press coverage.
In a Week 1 game against Seattle, he showed good technique by swatting away
Richard Sherman's arm and slipping under the jam, giving himself enough room to
get free. Though he was not targeted on the play, he easily beat one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Against the Patriots, the wide LaFell easily swatted away a Logan
Ryan jam and got open for a touchdown.

--LaFell typically catches the ball away from his body and
knows how to position his body to make plays. However, he is not always
aggressive going after the ball and makes a number of concentration drops. One
other thing that stood out is that LaFell sometimes telegraphs the intention of
his route by stamping his feet before a sudden change in direction.

--While his blocking ability flies somewhat under the radar, LaFell
isn't afraid to get down the field and mix things up. There were also times
last season when he operated out of the backfield, which gives Patriots coach
Bill Belichick some versatility to work with.